We have an expensive December in this household – not only Christmas, but the insurance for all the cars and the MoTs and road tax for the 90. Â At least the 109 is tax exempt…
The advice is always to shop around for insurance, and boy is it good advice.  The 90 cost about £350 for last year’s policy, which was a very basic Tesco policy for the standard vehicle.  Tesco would not allow the installation of the snorkel, or any other accessories, though.  This year, I started shopping around early and found deals as cheap as £230 if kept as standard and from £350 if the snorkel was fitted.  So, I spoke to one of the cheaper providers of the snorkel included quotes, Admiral, and explained that the vehicle’s performance was not affected by the snorkel and that we have no intention of off-roading the vehicle; it’d principally for cosmetic purposes.  There was a little movement, but when I finally stated my stance that if they could offer a deal for under £300 with the snorkel fitted that I’d take it there and then, they bit.
Today I received my 109 renewal notice from Flux.  Last year’s premium was about £450, which isn’t bad considering the extensive modifications, but this year the premium was going up to £575!  Not many companies will deal with such modified vehicles, so I called their main competitor, Sureterm, and got an offer of £386 (as long as I fitted a Thatcham approved immobiliser).  I took this quote back to Flux, who I have been very pleased with over the years, and they quickly dropped the premium to £380, with no alteration to the terms and no need for the immobiliser.
Great that they can be so accommodating. Â Isn’t it a shame, though, that they have to try it on in the first place.
Just you wait for the first time you have to make a claim. I’m from Christchurch, New Zealand and we have been waiting three years since the first major earthquake. Seems that every insurer has low-balled offers to at least some of their clients, replaced concrete with asphelt, and other similar dodges.
Then again, a high premium is no guarantee of insurance doing the right thing either.
BTW, I pay $81 NZD/year insurance on my 1973 SWB as a “historic” vehicle which is over 40 years old. Only two nominated drivers covered, no more than 5,000 km a year. And the car registration is $102 NZ this year, 80% of which is fees and ACC. only about $22 is “vehicle registration” So all up that’s about ~100 pounds. Jealous ?
Landrover on earthquake day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvVfYHeSKq8
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsGZKTnO1wM
Nick, we’ve found the same. Last year when we got the renewal through for Annie our 109″ it was £350 from A plan on a commercial policy. I spent ages ringing around and eventually got a great quote from Adrian Flux on a modified policy for £150. Flux also quoted me £200 for Ciggy with a vast number of modifications. Both of these quotes were unlimited mileage (as we use or will be using the trucks daily), fully comp and the flux policy allows me to drive other vehicles too.
Curiously A plan eventually came back with a similar quote to Flux after realising I was going to move. So from £350 they’d managed to drop to £180 after just a few calls. However both companies would not offer me anything lower than £400 for our Mazda B2500 pickup despite that being our only stock/unmodified vehicle!
It annoys me that I have to spend hours on the phone going through the same long conversations regarding modifications etc each year now just to end up with a figure that they could have offered in the first place. I guess they make their money from those people that simply accept the renewals without questioning them.
Ian
Try having a look at AJ Insurance Service Ltd. next time. They’re based in Tilbury Essex. I have a 109ffr, and a VERY modified Lightweight running a V6 Ford Essex engine, Roll cage, Coil springs etc. Last year they were the only company that actually listened to me rather than just “Computer says no”. My Lightweight needed insurance & my daily car needed renewing – no other companies or brokers could get it into their head that I had a blank canvas & could organise usage of either vehicle to suit – ie, if it made sense to use my no claims on one vehicle instead of the other I could, & or, if it made it cheaper to join a club I would etc. Some insurance companies couldn’t get it into their head that I wouldn’t use my Landy to & from a place of work, as I am an electrical engineer, & actually developed a quite a rude / snotty attitude with me (I decided not to blow their tiny little minds with the fact that I actually require a plane to get to work rather than a car of any description!). AJ Insurance brokers actually listened to my info & told me what they could supply. Happy days 🙂 Vehicles fully insured………….. 12 months later – ( a few days ago) renewed the policy on the Lightweight – just need to get it MOT’d again now! – wish me luck!!!!!! 🙂